Cementing Bonds
by slythatheart
Summary: No Strings verse, follows Shackled. Four years after the events of No Strings, Sebastian and Dave spend their pseudo-anniversary together.


**Note: **So I should probably let you guys know a few things at this point. Firstly, after this fic there are only three stories left in the No Strings verse. Because of that, the stories from this point onwards will be focusing around major events in their lives. Also, I'm sorry to say that the smut in the preceding fic (Shackled) was the last in the series, so I hope you enjoyed it!

These last few fics will be coming soon, because my plan is to post the final fic on May 21st, the two year anniversary of when I posted No Strings. Thanks to Gabe for the beta reading!

* * *

**Cementing Bonds**

Dave checked his watch as he walked through the door at Scandals, unable to spot Sebastian in the dimly lit area. Sebastian wasn't late – he was almost _never_ late and usually a little early – but Dave had been so excited about their weekend plans that he'd gotten there twenty minutes before he'd planned to.

He headed over to the bar and slid into the stool that had been his regular spot for more than six months while he was still in high school. He rarely made it back to Scandals since he'd started at OSU, but he usually dropped by whenever he was in Lima for more than a night.

It was probably silly to ask Sebastian to meet him there when Oberlin's classes had just started back for the spring semester, but it was a special occasion. Sort of.

"Hey, Bear Cub! It's great to see you."

Dave grinned at the familiar face behind the bar. "Good to see you too, Luke."

"It's been too long…you're starting to look a lot less cub and a lot more bear than you used to!"

Luke hadn't been working the last few times Dave came in, so it had probably been close to a year since they'd seen each other. "Yeah, it's been a while. I guess I'm growing up."

"Well, growing up agrees with you," Luke told him, giving the counter in front of Dave a quick wipe down. "So how have you been doing? You want a beer?

"I'd love one. And I'm good, man. How about you? I didn't think you worked Fridays."

"Normally don't," Luke shrugged, "but Bobby had some big thing on and begged me to swap." He pushed a beer towards Dave. "And what brings you here tonight?" he added when Dave glanced around again. "You waiting for someone?"

He took a sip of his beer and nodded. "It's our anniversary. Uh, kind of."

"You and Ritchie Rich still going strong, then?" Luke chuckled at him then shook his head. "Not sure this is really an anniversary type place, but hey, whatever floats your boat."

"Yeah, stronger than ever." Dave thought he probably looked like an idiot with the big, goofy grin he knew was on his face, but he didn't care. "Tonight…well…we met here, you know? Besides, I've got other stuff planned too."

"Well, good for you guys. It's great to see you happy. And speaking of, your boy just walked in."

Dave looked over his shoulder, spotting Sebastian who was shooting a disgusted look at someone who was blatantly checking him out. The guy might have gotten a flirty wink or a smirk if he didn't look old enough to be Sebastian's father.

When Dave turned back, Luke was shaking his head. "He's too pretty by half…barely in the door and already gettin' eyed up. You should save him."

"You think Sebastian needs saving? It really _has_ been too long if you've forgotten what he's like."

"Forgotten what _who_ is like?" Sebastian's voice was low and hot in Dave's ear, the words punctuated with a quick nip to his earlobe.

"Oh, just some guy," Dave said, casually, then took a sip of his beer to help hide his grin. "He's kinda hot. Thought I'd take him home with me tonight."

"Well, that's a shame." Sebastian sounded playful, and when Dave turned on his seat to face him, his expression was wicked. "I was planning on having a drink with you, but I don't want to cramp your style. Maybe I'll go have a drink with Mid-Life Crisis over there."

When Dave had invited Sebastian to meet him there, he'd wanted to reminisce, to spend a few hours together in the place where they'd first gotten to know each other, but Sebastian's joke gave him a better idea. Luke was serving someone at the other end of the bar, so Dave didn't even feel self-conscious as he leaned closer to Sebastian and used what his boyfriend liked to call his sex voice.

"You could do that. You could flirt with him; get a few drinks out of him. Maybe you'd plan to go home with him and see if he's got a big dick. But I'd be looking out for you. I wouldn't let you leave with him because he seems like a creep. And because we're sort of friends and I'd be worried about how much you'd had to drink."

Sebastian had been staring at him, uncertainly at first, but his expression changed as Dave continued speaking. By the time Dave was done Sebastian looked a little impressed, and very willing to play along.

"That sounds...extremely familiar," Sebastian replied, curling his fingers into Dave's collar for a moment before dragging his hand down the front of Dave's shirt. There was a tug, hard and rough, on Dave's belt. Dave stood, letting himself get pulled in close to Sebastian. "And also _excellent_. But how about we skip right past the creep in the corner and get to the part where you impress me with your dick?"

"Well, I guess this _is_ an anniversary kind of place." Luke sounded amused. Dave grinned over at him, trying not to feel embarrassed by the fact that Luke had made his way back towards them and had almost definitely heard what Sebastian had said.

"Anniversary?" Sebastian looked confused. "Our anniversary is in…"

It was obvious when Sebastian made the connection, because his entire expression morphed into one of amusement.

"_Growly_." Sebastian looked over at Luke and sent him a quick wave before dragging Dave across the floor by his belt buckle. When they stopped, Dave found himself leaning into Sebastian, who was pressed into a wall. The same wall, he realized, where their whole relationship had started. "Babe, did you…did you bring me here to role play our first night together, exactly four years later?"

"I—"

"Because that," Sebastian stopped to pull him in for a kiss, fast and filthy, before he continued, "is really fucking hot."

"_Exactly_ would have been yesterday," Dave said, leaning in to bite and lick at Sebastian's neck around his words. "B-but this is close enough. And I didn't, uh, _plan_ the role play, but if you _want…_"

"Fuck, yes. Let's get out of here and do that night over again, the same way." They kissed again, Sebastian's fingers digging into Dave's shoulders hard enough to hurt. Dave suspected he'd have bruises the next day, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "Only when I pretend I want you to leave this time," Sebastian panted into his ear, "you're not allowed to go."

* * *

"Seriously, babe, I can't believe you remembered that."

"Well, I can't believe you want to wander around this entire garden when it's only thirty degrees out," Dave told him jokingly, leaning in close and rubbing his hands together.

Sebastian grinned. Dave had brought him to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens because they had a huge orchid display each February and he'd told Dave once – _once – _about how his grandmother's orchid garden was his favorite place when he was a kid.

They were making a whole weekend of their 'not quite anniversary'. They'd never celebrated it before, but Dave had admitted that he wanted to surprise Sebastian for once, and he never quite managed it on their actual anniversary. Sebastian could see how that would be the case, because he was self-aware enough to know that he was manipulative as hell and always managed to ferret information out of Dave – as long as he knew there was information to ferret.

"Come on, we have hours before the performance at Big Box! And it's not the _entire_ garden, but this place is so relaxing, we should take our time. Fuck the cold, it's still gorgeous. Besides," he said, slipping his arm around Dave's waist so they were pressed together as they walked, "we can keep each other warm."

"If you think we're having _any_ kind of sex out here…"

Sebastian snickered. "You know, I think I could convince you. But, lucky for you, I don't want to risk your dick to the cold."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the leaflet he'd picked up on the way into the gardens. It had a map inside and a small description of each area. They didn't need to look at _everything_, but Sebastian at least wanted to see the Woodland Garden and the Japanese Garden. Then, he figured, they could go to the café for something to eat and warm up while they explored The Glasshouse. He wanted to see the Inspiration Gardens as well, but it sounded like that was definitely somewhere to visit in warmer weather. He didn't want his first impression of it to be disappointment so he figured they could come back for that, maybe in a few months.

They'd already wandered through the Gateway Garden, where the majority of the orchids had been placed, so they passed the Geis Terrace on their way to the Woodland Garden. They were almost there when Dave pressed a kiss to Sebastian's temple.

"I'm really glad you're having fun. I wasn't sure about the whole garden thing."

"Quit second guessing yourself, Growly. You did good."

Dave smiled back at him and they continued in silence, enjoying the view and the quiet, until they came to the timber walkways of the Woodland Garden.

Sebastian cleared his throat and began reading from the leaflet in his best tour guide impression. "_Explore this special forest on your own or with a date. Hidden bridges and tucked-away benches off the beaten path invite you to sit while you absorb the awe of nature_." He paused and added, mischievously, "Well _that _sounds promising."

He winked at Dave, who snorted. "We're still not having sex in these gardens."

Maybe it was a weird time to get emotional, Sebastian thought, but he couldn't quite stop himself, because there was just no way that he could _ever_ love anyone else as much as he loved Dave. His boyfriend knew him ridiculously well.

Throwing Dave a smirk, because he loved a challenge even if it were only a joke, Sebastian skimmed the rest of the paragraph as they walked, bursting into peals of laughter when he got to the end. "Oh my god, Dave, seriously. This is perfect. _The Woodland Garden was once the home of the bear pit when the original Cleveland Zoo was located here_."

"This was the worst idea ever," Dave groaned, but he was trying to fight a smile.

"I disagree. This is my new favorite place. Now, let me take a photo of you in your natural habitat."

"A zoo is _not_ a natural habitat."

"Quit trying to spoil the moment," Sebastian told him, pulling out his phone and taking a shot of Dave rolling his eyes.

Once they had made their way through the Woodland Garden and snapped a few more photos, they found the path that led to the Japanese Garden. Sebastian grinned over at Dave and hugged him tightly.

"I've always wanted to see Japan," he said. "We're going to have to go one day. It won't be for another hundred years until I've finished college _and_ law school, but this will do for now. And since you were awesome enough to bring me here, I won't even make a dirty joke about saké."

The way Dave was staring at him, like he was the only thing he wanted to look at despite the ridiculously perfect gardens around them, made Sebastian's cheeks heat up. He didn't blush often, but when he did it was because of Dave, so he didn't even try to blame it on the cold air.

"I love you so much, you know," Dave said quietly, squeezing Sebastian's hip. "I know it's probably stupid to celebrate an anniversary of what was supposed to be a one night stand, but it's why we're together now, so it's kind of the best thing that ever happened to me."

That was probably the sweetest thing Sebastian had ever heard, considering the subject matter. People didn't usually get sentimental about hook ups from their local gay bar – especially when the place was kind of a dive – but it had worked out so well for them. Besides, Dave had a point, because it was the best thing that had ever happened to Sebastian, too.

"I…" He had to stop and clear his throat, because it felt scratchy all of a sudden and his stomach was inexplicably in knots. "I feel the same, you know. Anyway," he said, forcing his voice back into his flirtiest tone, "that night was _definitely_ worth celebrating. Last night, too."

"It was," Dave agreed, but his tone and expression hadn't changed at all. He wasn't joking or playing along; he just had the most adoring look on his face, like Sebastian was everything. Sebastian couldn't quite figure out how, after four years, Dave could still make it hard for him to breathe just by looking at him like he was special. But he could. He _did_.

"So…" Sebastian looked back down at his leaflet, for once not even trying to hide that he was grinning like an idiot. "_You've entered the magical realm of Gan Ryuu Tei (rock stream garden)_," he read aloud as they began walking again, arm in arm, "_a Japanese mountainscape rendered in picture-perfect miniature._"

They wandered slowly towards a small hill with a rocky pathway and lots of shrubbery. So far, Sebastian thought it was the nicest garden they'd seen. They'd definitely have to come back once the weather was warmer and more of the plants were thriving.

"_The Japanese Garden is one of our most beautiful spaces for wedding ceremonies. The modern world goes away when you are here."_ He looked around the otherwise abandoned garden, just wanting to bask in the peaceful atmosphere. He could almost believe they were somewhere else, just the two of them in some tiny private garden on the other side of the world. "Well, they're not wrong. It's hard to believe we're still in Ohio."

Dave leaned forward, pressing close to Sebastian and reading the next words. "_This is a place to let your soul take over._"

"It really is amazing," Sebastian agreed.

There was a pull on Sebastian's arm, and he looked over to see Dave had stopped walking. Dave's hand slid down to Sebastian's wrist and then to his hand, squeezing tightly as he locked eyes with Sebastian, seeming thoughtful at first, then strangely stunned.

"Everything okay?" Sebastian asked and stepped closer. Dave's free hand made its way to his neck, warm against his skin.

"Yeah," Dave answered. His voice was wavering and his expression was puzzled, but happy. His eyes were darting over Sebastian's face, clearly searching for something. Whatever it was, he must have found it, because he blinked once then his lips parted and curved into a smile around a tiny, astonished laugh. "We should get married," he said, awestruck. "I mean…_marry me_."

Sebastian stopped breathing for a split second, and it looked like maybe Dave had done the same.

It took a moment, maybe several, for Dave's words to fit together properly in Sebastian's head, and when they did he stared, taken completely off guard. "You…we…Dave_, what?"_

If Sebastian could function normally, he might have laughed at the way Dave's eyes were so wide and shocked. His eyebrows pulled together and he shook his head slowly. He swallowed hard and stared at Sebastian like _Sebastian_ had been the one to suggest…_that_, completely out of the blue.

"I—I don't know. I'm sorry. Holy shit," he stammered, tripping over his own words. "Jesus, I can't believe I just—I didn't mean to—"

"How romantic," Sebastian said, deadpan. His arms folded across his chest before he could stop them. He hated the reaction, hated knowing how defensive he was being. He hadn't been expecting a proposal, not at all, but Dave's backpedalling still _hurt_.

"No!" Dave blurted, cheeks stained a deeper red than Sebastian remembered ever seeing on him, and shook his head adamantly. He tugged at Sebastian's arms until they came loose again, gripping both hands together in his broader ones. "_No_, that's not…I mean, I _meant_ it. I just…I didn't plan to do that. And I should have. It should have been, you know, _special_. I'm an idiot."

Sebastian stared at Dave, a little overwhelmed, but mostly incredulous. "You think this isn't special?" he asked in disbelief, looking at the garden around them.

"Well…yeah, I guess it is," Dave answered. "I just…I figured, you know, I'd ask one day. Not…it wasn't meant to be today. This wasn't for _that_."

Knowing that Dave didn't regret asking, that he wanted it and just hadn't actually planned to do it at that moment drained Sebastian completely of his hurt, filling him instead with a sense of excitement that was growing with every second. Something in the moment they shared had made Dave want to ask so badly that he didn't even _think_ before he did it. When he considered what that meant – that Dave loved him so much he couldn't stop himself from proposing – Sebastian smiled so widely he suspected he must looked deranged. It would have bothered him, but Dave was starting to look hopeful and that was so much more important.

"Who cares that today was for something different?" Sebastian laughed. His heart was going to beat right out of his chest, but he was completely fine with that happening because Dave just _proposed_. "Fuck Growly, why does it matter if we only came here for orchids and lunch? Fine if you think you're an idiot, but you're the idiot I'm _going to marry_." He hesitated. "Unless you don't actually want to…if you were just caught up in a moment—"

"Don't be dumb." Dave was beaming. Judging by how much his cheeks hurt, Sebastian knew he was, too. He pressed in as closely as he could, burying his face in Dave's neck while their arms wrapped around each other. They stood there, quiet and unmoving, for several minutes just enjoying the closeness. "Of course I want to," Dave said eventually. "I just wasn't going to ask for a few more years, but…"

"Too late, no take backs," Sebastian joked, dropping a kiss behind Dave's ear, pleased to feel Dave huff out a small laugh. He waited for a moment, expecting Dave to finish what he was saying. When it became clear he wasn't going to, Sebastian pulled back and poked him in the side. "But what?"

Dave looked embarrassed; even more embarrassed than he had a few minutes earlier when he realized he'd unintentionally asked Sebastian to marry him. He muttered something completely incomprehensible and Sebastian poked him again.

"I was letting my soul take over," he repeated, ducking his head shyly.

Sebastian was seriously concerned he wouldn't survive this moment, because the way his chest felt could _not_ be natural.

"You…_fuck_ Growly, that's…" he paused and tried to settle himself with a deep breath. Sebastian wondered, briefly and irrationally, if anyone had ever been sick from too much happiness, or too many butterflies, or whatever the fuck his stomach was doing. "Now _that_ is romantic. And special. And we're getting married, even if you _did_ jump the gun and propose when I'd already decided I was going to ask you as soon as I graduated from Oberlin."

"You were?"

He hadn't started making solid plans yet, but the idea had been fluttering in the back of Sebastian's mind for a long time. Long enough that he knew, instinctively, that it was something he'd had every intention of doing when the time came.

"Seriously? Babe, you are the best person I know, and you don't just put up with my bullshit, you actually _enjoy_ most of it. Of course I was going to ask."

For a moment Dave just stood there, looking as though he was trying desperately to gather his wits together. Finally he seemed himself again, sliding his hands onto Sebastian's hips and grasping them firmly.

"I don't know if I believe you're serious," he joked, "since you didn't mention sex even _once_."

"And that right there is why we're getting married. You're clearly perfect for me."

Dave blushed again, grinning broadly. Sebastian twisted his gloved fingers into Dave's hair and pulled him in for a kiss. It was long, maybe too long for a public place, but there was no one else around and it wasn't like Sebastian had ever cared about that sort of thing, anyway. Even if he did and even if they were surrounded by horrified people, well, they were _engaged_.

* * *

"You're graduating soon," Sebastian said later, when they were in The Glasshouse and looking at some of the most exotic plants Sebastian had ever seen. "Are you sure you want to be engaged to an undergrad when you're a learned man?" he teased, bumping his hip into Dave playfully.

"Right. About that…I got some pretty awesome news yesterday, as well. I'm uh…I'm in. I got my acceptance, so I start my master's degree in August."

"Dave that's excellent! I knew they'd take you, you had _nothing_ to be worried about!"

"The thing is…I know it's meant to be four semesters, but that's part time. So I spoke to my advisor right after I found out. I'm going to do it in one year." He took a deep breath, looking like he had so much more to say and no idea how to say it. "I know it'll be a pretty loaded year, but I thought…I mean…one year instead of two." He stopped, squeezing Sebastian's hand and smiling shyly. "Then I could move near Oberlin. I could get a job, maybe here in Cleveland, while you do your last year."

"I would love that," Sebastian told him truthfully, but hesitantly. "But you don't want to rush your master's."

"I wouldn't be. I looked over all of it with my advisor. If I keep the same hours as Rick's student manager as I'm doing this year – which he already asked me to – it satisfies all of my intern requirements, so I can go non-thesis. And the only reason the program is over four semesters is so the students can work. If I load up on the credits instead of working then it's only a little more than I'm doing right now, plus one or two classes in May. It's definitely worth it if it means living with you a year earlier."

Dave had clearly already thought the whole thing through, and Sebastian couldn't help but feel excited at the idea. "We could get a place in North Ridgeville," he said, slowly at first but growing more enthusiastic. "It's close to Oberlin and only maybe half an hour commute into Cleveland. Or maybe Amherst, but that's a little further for you to...holy _shit_, Bear Cub, this is going to be amazing."

"It is," Dave agreed, nodding vigorously. His smile was wide and infectious. "It's only a year and a half away. Then we can live together for a year, and after that maybe we can get married during the summer in New York, before you start at Columbia."

Sebastian shook his head. "No. I mean, yes, during that summer, but we should do it here, since we finally _can_. Ohio only just got their shit together; we should take advantage of that. Besides...I hear the Japanese Garden in this place is perfect for wedding ceremonies."

"I'm going to tell everyone we know that getting engaged has made you sappy and sentimental."

"Then I'm going to tell everyone we know that you proposed _accidentally _because you're a giant softie. Do they make marshmallows in bear shapes? We can put them on the tables at the reception."

"Jesus," Dave choked on a laugh and pressed his forehead to Sebastian's. His skin was warm and a little damp from the humidity the plants around them needed. "I love you, and we're actually going to get married. Holy shit."

* * *

Sebastian rolled onto his side and reached an arm out, disappointed to find an empty space where his boyfriend – _fiancé_ – should have been.

Fuck, he was still getting used to that. It was kind of amazing.

"Growly?" he called out, frowning when he noticed the time. "It's not even nine in the morning, and this is spring fucking break. Why aren't you in bed with me?"

Dave's head and shoulders appeared around the door frame, but instead of answering he just looked at Sebastian fondly. The apartment they'd hired for the week was small, but it had more than just a bedroom. Sebastian was starting to think that had been a tactical error on his part.

"And why the fuck are you wearing _clothes_?" he added, only half joking.

"I'm making us breakfast."

"You should _be_ breakfast." Sebastian sat up, about to kick off the sheets but stilling when Dave shook his head.

"Don't get out of bed. I'm bringing breakfast to you."

He was tempted to follow Dave out into the kitchenette anyway, to curl into his back and watch whatever Dave was making over his shoulder, but Dave seemed to want to do the whole breakfast in bed thing, and besides, it was spring break and they were in Cancun; it should be illegal to get out of bed so early.

When Dave came back he was holding a tray. "Scoot forward and close your eyes."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

"Just do it, asshole."

He did, but not without throwing Dave a smirk, first. When he felt the mattress shift and the tray being placed carefully on his lap he tried to peek, only to have a large hand cover his eyes.

"Well this is either romantic or kinky."

"Which would you prefer?" A warm weight settled behind him, and Sebastian leaned back, pressing into Dave's chest.

"I could go for either," Sebastian said with a shrug. "But ideally, both."

"How about we start with romantic?" Dave pulled his hand away and Sebastian was treated to the sight of a very tasty looking spread of breakfast food, and a large enough mug of coffee to keep him happy for a little while. "We can move on to kinky later."

"That sounds like a good plan." Sebastian picked up a piece of apple, holding it over his shoulder for Dave as he took a sip of coffee. It was hot, but not scalding, and he drank several mouthfuls as Dave chuckled behind him.

"Feeling a little more awake?"

"Depends. Are we moving onto the kinky part already?"

Dave nudged him a little, palm to his hip. "I'm serious," Dave told him, arm snaking around Sebastian's middle. Sebastian could feel Dave's heart beating against his back; it was racing. He wondered briefly why, but he didn't have to wait long to find out. "I want to make sure you're wide awake when I ask you to marry me again."

"You…" Warmth spread through Sebastian chest and south, into his belly. It brought what felt like a thousand butterflies with it, and he had to fight not to give a wide, idiotic smile. As it was, he couldn't quite hold back a tiny, surprised laugh. He cleared his throat and rested his arm on Dave's, tangling their fingers together and squeezing. "I already said yes, Growly. It's only been six weeks since you asked; you're not getting rid of me _that _easily."

"Good," Dave said, pressing a soft, open mouthed kiss to Sebastian's shoulder. "Because I'd have hated to return this." His other hand, the one Sebastian had thought Dave was leaning on, moved from where it had been curled under the edge of a pillow. He was holding a box; dark blue, velvet, and very, very ring-box sized.

_Oh._

"Oh. Oh…you _asshole_." Sebastian took the box from Dave's hand and opened it faster than he had realized he could move. Inside was a simple gold band with a satin finish and a small diamond chip in the center. It was perfect. "I hate you _so much_."

"Not really what I was aiming for," Dave answered, sounding amused.

Sebastian turned as far as he could without spilling the breakfast tray and grabbed Dave roughly by the jaw to pull him in for a hard kiss.

"I'm starting to think you just like ruining my plans," Sebastian said when Dave took the box from Sebastian's hand and put the ring on his finger. "Just…under the bed, in my bag," he added. "In the side pocket, beneath my socks."

Dave shifted behind him, leaning over the edge of the bed. Sebastian wanted to see his face, but he also wanted to admire his own hand for a little while. The ring fit unexpectedly well, which was lucky because Sebastian wasn't sure he'd have been willing to take it off, even to get it resized.

By the time Dave sat back up, Sebastian had dragged his eyes off the ring on his own finger and moved the tray off his lap so he could look at Dave properly. Dave was staring down at the box in his hand with a tiny smile on his face. "Is this…what I think it is?"

"_Yes_," Sebastian said pointedly, trying to cover the emotional itch in his eyes by giving Dave some well-deserved snark. "Seeing as how you proposed before I could, I was going to give you this tonight as a surprise. But look at you, jumping the gun again."

"I'm sorry," Dave said, not looking sorry at all. He was still staring at the little box.

"Don't you want to open it?" Sebastian asked. Dave nodded, about to do exactly that when his expression changed and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Sebastian.

"If there's a cock ring in here, I'm going to be seriously pissed at you."

A small part of Sebastian wanted to be offended that Dave thought he would do something like that, but he was too preoccupied trying not to burst into fits of laughter. "I swear, Growly, if you hadn't already proposed, I'd be begging you to marry me just for the fact that that idea entered your brain."

Dave's mouth twitched, like he was trying not to grin. His eyes were bright and amused. It was obvious to Sebastian that he'd been a terrible (_wonderful_) influence on Dave, because he could almost hear all of the dirty jokes Dave was mentally flicking through before he finally shook his head and didn't say anything at all. After a moment, Dave's face morphed into something soft and almost shy as he focused on the box again. He pulled it open slowly, much more slowly than Sebastian had.

Sebastian was nervous, suddenly. He'd tried to shop for Dave's tastes, had even thought he'd found the perfect ring, but now, looking at the one Dave had chosen for him, he was worried he had picked wrong. It wasn't anything like the ring he was wearing, but then again he couldn't really picture Dave wearing something like what he'd chosen for Sebastian, either.

"_Seb_." Dave was so quiet, Sebastian might not have heard him if he hadn't been waiting desperately for his reaction. "This is…it's so…"

"Do you like it?" The band was wider than Sebastian's, in a mix of white gold and titanium stripes. The gold was satin finish, the titanium smooth and shiny, and when Sebastian had seen it he'd completely abandoned all the other styles he'd thought of as _maybes_.

"I love it."

"Me too. Mine, I mean. I probably should have said so before I called you an asshole."

Dave laughed, tugging the ring out of the box and putting it on. "It fits," he said, softly, like he couldn't quite believe it.

"Of course it does," Sebastian smirked. He wasn't going to admit that he'd called Paul in a panic from the store and begged him to measure Dave's high school class ring. "I know _exactly_ how big your fingers are."

"You…you are so fucked up," Dave grinned. He grabbed Sebastian by the hips and lifted him right into his lap.

Four years together and Sebastian still couldn't get over how strong Dave was.

"You're the one marrying me." Sebastian leaned in, wrapped his arms around Dave's neck and kissed him, long and slow. When they eventually parted with a playful nibble, Sebastian reached over to the tray, scooped up a dollop of jam on his fingers and leaned backwards to paint it down his own stomach in a long, sticky line towards his dick. "Now hurry up and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

* * *

**Note: **Obviously in this verse Ohio has marriage equality by 2016. Let's hope that reality follows, shall we? Also, all the lines that were read aloud actually came from the Cleveland Botanical Gardens website. I did a fair bit of research for this fic and also had to make a few assumptions but hopefully nothing is painfully inaccurate.


End file.
